King of Swords
by Lady Callista
Summary: Completely AU, the characters of Buffy in a West Side Storylike tale. What happens when the leader of one gang falls in love with a girl who is getting sucked back into the rival gang she left years ago? B
1. The Stranger

Distribution: Anyone who has permission for any of my other stories may have this too. Others, ask and I will most likely give permission.

Feedback: I love it more than I love Angel chained to my…um…I love and desire feedback.

Disclaimer: Characters belong to Joss, the WB, Mutant Enemy, (the evil)FOX, and whoever else came up with them. If they belonged to me the show would be drastically different. Much of the concept of this story, besides being from a challenge, is from West Side Story. It didn't start out that way, the story just kind of took it's own path and it is remarkably similar to WSS.

Rating: Same as the TV show

Spoilers: Nothing Buffy except the character's names. This is totally an AU fic.

AN: This is one of two AU fics I ever wrote, and my favorite of the two. The other was a crossover into the General Hospital world, and I'm not sure if I still like it enough to post it, although it might be okay if I rework it enough. This one was based on a challenge, which I'll post at the end of the first chapter. Oh, and to anyone waiting on the next part of Kokoro Kara, it's probably gonna be a week or so, I'm having issues with where I want the next part to go. Sorry about that.

Enjoy!

King of Swords

By Lady Callista

Chapter 1: The Stranger

"You and Randy had a fight today, didn't you?" Willow asked her best friend as she studied the three cards laid out between the girls.

"Yes, we did." Buffy admitted. "You're certainly getting better at this."

The Wiccan looked up from the cards with a small smile. "Well, Tarot is a little different than anything else I've ever tried, but the High Priest of my coven seems to think I have a real knack for it."

"If you can tell me what the fight was about I'll believe him." Buffy smirked.

Willow turned back to the cards, laying three crosswise over the ones that already sat there. She frowned. "Two of these cards, particularly the Three of Swords, seem to suggest that a third person is coming between you. But the other card is the Wheel of Fortune, which means that a drastic change of life is coming your way, and whatever happens now is simply an act of fate."

Buffy looked at her friend in shock. "The third person thing is sure right. But it's not what you're probably thinking; it's my mother. She doesn't like Randy at all, you'd think after two years of me dating him she'd come to at least tolerate him, but she's giving me more and more grief about dating him. Especially since he's a few months younger than me and a year behind in school."

"Then the drastic change in your life is probably that you're starting college this year and he's not." Willow said. "It's gonna be a real challenge."

"I know it will, but I'm pretty sure I can handle it." Buffy smiled as Willow began to put away her deck of cards. "That's pretty much what we were fighting about, he thinks just cause I'm going to college I'm gonna find some cute older guy and leave him behind."

"Then you'll just have to convince him that won't happen."

OoOoOoOoOoO

"You almost ready to go, honey?" Randy called up the stairs for the third time.

"Almost. Perfection is worth the wait." Buffy called back teasingly.

"We're gonna be late!" Randy answered her.

There was silence for a minute, then Buffy called down, "I'm ready."

Randy moved to stand at the foot of the stairs. His mouth dropped open as Buffy swayed slowly down them and into his arms. She looked beautiful, and very sexy.

Black leather boots went up to her knee, showing a large expanse of leg from their top to the bottom of her very short leather skirt. A blue satin tube top completed the outfit, along with quite a bit more make-up than she usually wore.

"I can't believe it's been two years." Buffy laughed as they kissed softly.

"To the day." Randy said with a smile as he put an arm around her and they walked towards her front door. "It doesn't feel that long."

"It does in some ways." Buffy answered him. "But in others it feels like we just met."

"I remember the first time I saw you." Randy smiled as he opened the door to his silver convertible for her. "It was the first day of my sophomore year. You were new to the school, and there were all these rumors going around about how you'd gotten into so much trouble where you used to live that you and your mom had to move here."

"I still don't know how those got started." Buffy lied. In the two years she had known him, she'd worked hard to convince him and everyone else at school that those things were nothing but stupid rumors. No one knew the truth about her.

"Well, doesn't matter." Randy grinned. "It didn't matter to me then, even if they had been true. Cause I saw you, and I couldn't help but like you, no matter what anyone said. You were standing in front of the school, with the sun shining in your hair, and the wind playing with the hem of that short little dress, and I just thought you were the most beautiful thing in the world."

"You came up to me and introduced yourself." Buffy smiled at the memory. "I looked up at you, and for a second I wondered why this cute guy was talking to little old me. Then I decided it didn't matter why, and took you up on your offer to show me around."

"And aren't you glad you did?" Randy teased as he pulled into the parking lot of the Bronze and went around to open her car door.

"I sure am." Buffy replied as she went into his arms and they kissed fiercely.

"Hey, get a room!" They heard a voice call out a few minutes later.

They both laughed and pulled away from each other slightly, enough to see the pair that was walking up to them.

"Hey, Xander, Willow." Randy greeted them, keeping one arm around Buffy as they started into the club.

The other couple walked next to them, chatting about the things that had happened in the few days since they'd all been together last.

When they got into the Bronze, they sat down at their usual table and continued talking about whatever popped into their heads.

They had been at the Bronze for a few hours already, and were having a great time. Xander and Willow were currently on the floor dancing; leaving Randy and Buffy with some much desired alone time. They were in the middle of yet another make-out session when Randy's cell phone suddenly began to ring. With an annoyed look, he pulled away from Buffy and put it to his ear. "Hello?"

Buffy took a sip of her soda as she watched him talk, watching his face with a growing concern. "What's the matter?" She asked as soon as he hung up.

"That was my mom." He explained. "She said that my brother's disappeared from his father's house in Los Angeles. They don't know where he is or what happened to him, but he packed all his stuff."

"That's horrible." Buffy put a hand on his arm in sympathy. "Is there anything we can do?" She asked in real concern.

"Um, I'm gonna go home and be with mom. Sorry to cut our date short, but…"

"That's okay, I understand." Buffy said. And she really did.

"Do you want me to drop you off, or…" He trailed off.

"I'll stay here a little while I think, keep Xander and Will company. That is, if you're sure you don't want me to come with you."

"No, I think I just need to be there for my mom right now." Randy said as he stood up. "I'll call you if I find out anything."

"Please do." Buffy replied as he bent down for a quick kiss before heading for the door.

"What's wrong?" Willow asked as they came back just in time to see Randy leaving.

Buffy explained the situation, and both of them looked upset. "I feel bad for Mrs. Jennings. She must be going out of her mind."

"She's Randy's mother, though." Xander said supportively. "If she's anywhere near as strong as he is she'll be okay."

Buffy smiled her thanks for that comment. "You guys keep dancing, don't let me stop you. I'm just gonna get something to eat."

Willow started to protest, but Buffy insisted that she not put a damper on her evening.

Willow and Xander reluctantly returned to the dance floor as Buffy flagged down a waitress and ordered some cheese fries.

She had just started to eat a few minutes later when she got the odd sensation that someone was watching her.

She turned to look all around her but didn't see anyone she knew, so she returned her attention to her food.

But the feeling didn't go away.

Buffy turned again, trying to find someone that she knew. Instead, she found herself looking into a pair of gorgeous chocolate eyes that she had never seen before.

She also noticed, as the man wearing those eyes walked across the room towards her, that the rest of him didn't look so bad either. In fact, she thought as she took in his spiked brown hair and all black outfit, he was the most handsome man she had ever seen. And there was something about him that seemed to draw her like a magnet.

"Dance with me?" The dark stranger asked as he held out a hand to her.

Buffy couldn't think about Randy, or anything else for that matter. The instant she heard his deep, rich voice, all other thoughts flew right out of her head.

"Of course." She found herself answering in a sexy voice as she stood up and took his hand. He led her slowly to the dance floor, and then wrapped his arms around her just as a slow song came up.

Buffy didn't stop to think for an instant about how odd this was, instead, she fell right into his arms and laid her head on his shoulder.

OoOoOoOoO

The next morning…

"Buffy, what happened to you?" Willow asked as she dropped by Buffy's house early the next morning. "Me and Xander went back to the table and suddenly you were gone."

"Will, you won't believe what happened. I still don't." Buffy said as she flopped down on her bed.

"What?" Willow sat next to her friend.

"I met the most gorgeous guy I've ever seen in my life."

"But Buff, what about…"

"Randy, I know." Buffy said in a confused tone. "It was just so weird, I've been with him for two years, but I looked at this guy and all of a sudden I couldn't even remember what I liked about Randy. That sounds so horrible…"

"What did you guys do?" Willow cut her friend off.

Buffy described how they had met. "Then we danced together, like, all night. There's just something about him Will, something that I can't resist."

"So, what about Randy?" Willow asked in a worried tone.

"I don't know, I don't know what to do or what I want or anything." Buffy sighed.

"What's his name?" Willow asked suddenly.

"You know what? I didn't even ask."

TBC….

AN2: Anyway, here's the original challenge. This story was written about 6 years ago, all I have to do is polish it up, so I should have a part out every few days.

Blaze's Challenge requirements: 

This is an AU story. No vampires, demons or slayers.

Buffy's been going out with a lad for two years since she was sixteen and moved to Sunnydale. The lads older brother comes to town to go to UC Sunnydale.

The brother is like Angel and Angelus mixed, has a caring side but is bad. He sees Buffy and instantly takes a liking to her.

Buffy doesn't know that Angelus is her boyfriends brother when she meets him.

Angelus sets a plan to take her away from his brother.

Angelus and his brother are step family [same mum different dad

Must haves

a masquerade ball or fancy dress party. [where Angelus pretends to be his brother.

Spike and cordelia as Angelus friends

Claddagh ring


	2. The Past

AN: All info at the start of Chapter 1.

Chapter Two: The Past

"Liam!" Sandra Jennings said in shock as she opened her front door to see her oldest son standing there. "Where have you been? Your father is worried sick."

"No he's not. He doesn't care about me." Liam said as he walked in, two huge duffel bags slung over his shoulders.

"Of course he does. He called here tons of times looking for you, and…"

"Mom." The twenty-year-old interrupted as he took off his black duster. "He's been threatening to throw me out for the past year. We got into a fight two days ago, and I didn't want to fight so I went to leave. He said if I left then, not to ever come back. So I didn't." He finished as he looked at her.

"He…he…"

"Never told you any of that? I'm not surprised." Liam said with a smirk. "You don't know him anymore."

"I'm not sure I never did." Sandra said with a grimace as she brought her son into the kitchen. "Randy!" She called upstairs. "Liam's here!"

"Liam!" Randy yelled as he came down the stairs. "Where in the world have you been? You know you messed me up big last night when I found out you were gone, and…"

"Really?" Liam almost smirked again. "What did I mess up?"

"My two year anniversary with my girl!"

"Two years man, wow that's impressive." Liam didn't sound like he was impressed.

"Oh, go blow it out your a…"

"Randall!" Sandra said sternly. "Your brother has a very good reason for being here, and further more young man, I'll not have that kind of language in my house."

"Sorry, Mom." Randy appeared slightly sheepish, and even more so after they told him the story of why Liam was here.

"So, two night ago? What have you been doing the past two days then?" Randy asked.

"Well, it's quite a way to hitch from LA to here." Liam said in way of explanation. "So, tell me about your girl."

"Why do you want to know?" Randy asked.

"Just curious. What's her name?" Liam said with a look about him that said he was planning something, a look that neither his mom nor half-brother noticed.

"Buffy. She's kinda short, with blond hair and greenish eyes."

"And pretty." It was more a statement than a question.

"Very pretty." Randy agreed, then seemed to catch the way Liam said it. "How did you know?"

"Would my bro go out with anyone who wasn't pretty?" Liam avoided the question.

"So, is she your age?"

"She's a few months older." Randy said. "So, because of where her birthday falls, she's starting at UC Sunnydale this year."

"School starts in a few days, right?" Liam asked as inspiration hit him. "Cause I was hoping I could transfer from UCLA to here."

"You should be able to do that." His mother answered.

OoOoOoOoO

"I don't like that face you just made, Willow." Buffy said as the witch laid down the third Tarot card.

"Well, the first two are the King and Queen of Pentacles, which in past readings have usually seemed to represent you and Randy."

"But?"

"The card that I just laid sideways over them is the Ten of Swords, which is a death card." Willow interpreted the picture of the man lying flat on his back with the swords protruding from all over him. "It means the end, or death, of whatever card or cards it overlays."

"And I thought you were getting good at this." Buffy feigned laughter.

"I am." Willow said softly. "All the readings I've done over the past few months have been accurate."

"Well, this one's wrong." Buffy insisted.

"I can lay two more cards over these if you want, maybe those will bring some clue of the problem." Willow volunteered.

"Do it." Buffy said immediately. "Just hurry, we should be going for school soon."

Willow laid out the next two cards, and looked at them with worry. "They're both Major Arcana cards, which is very rare." She said slowly. "The Last Judgment indicates a change of positions, and coming on top of the cards for you and Randy…"

"What about the High Priestess?" Buffy pointed to the last card.

"She always shows a mystery, or a hidden future that is not yet set in stone. She represents all that is good and spiritual within you, and shows that you will need all of your wisdom to make whatever decision you must make."

"Well, that doesn't sound too promising." Buffy said warily as her friend put the cards away.

"Well, like you said, I could be wrong." Willow said softly, although the tone in her voice indicated she was fairly certain that she was not.

"You could be." Buffy replied in the same tone.

OoOoOoOoOoO

"So, how were your first two classes?" Willow asked as she finally met up with Buffy for lunch.

"They were okay, professors were pretty nice and all." Buffy said as they got their food.

They went over and sat down at a table, still talking, when all of a sudden Buffy stopped talking.

"Earth to Buffy?" Willow called out after she noticed her friend looking across the room.

"That's him." Buffy said softly.

"Where?" Willow knew exactly who she was talking about.

"Over by the windows, at that small table by himself." Buffy said.

Willow's fork dropped from her hand, and she glanced at the table Buffy indicated as she bent down to pick it up from the floor.

"The guy in the long black coat?" Willow asked. When Buffy nodded, she let out a low whistle. "You weren't kidding about how hot he was!"

"Nope." Buffy smiled as she watched him look around uncertainly. "Willow, would you mind if I…"

"Oh, go on." Willow said good-naturedly. "I've got a class in about fifteen minutes anyway."

Buffy grinned at her friend, then leaned over and picked up her purse. Dropping her food in the nearest garbage, she walked over to where her mystery man sat.

"Remember me?" Buffy said as she reached his table, trying to sound flippant.

He looked up at her and she could barely form another thought. "Yeah, sure. From the Bronze a few nights ago." He said as he gestured for her to take a seat across from him.

"Yeah, right." Buffy smiled as she sat down. "I never caught your name though."

"Angelus." He said with a smirk as he extended his hand.

"Buffy Summers." Buffy said as she reached out to shake his hand, and was surprised when he brought her hand up to his lips and kissed it softly. "Angelus…that's Latin for 'angelic face.'" Buffy said after a second of thought.

"Yeah, it's a nickname a few of my friends came up with cause I hate my real name." Angelus said, sounding slightly embarrassed that she knew what it meant. Most people did not.

"Oh, you do?"

"Yeah." Angelus said. "No one but my family ever uses it anymore."

"One of my friends is like that, too." Buffy laughed. "His real name's Alexander, and his family all call him Alex, but he hates that cause he says its so common. You know, cause so many people use that nickname."

"So, you call him what? Xander?" Angelus made it sound like a question.

"Yeah, we do. Good guess."

"Xander." Angelus repeated. "I like it. What about your other friends?"

Buffy settled back in her chair, for some reason finding him easy to talk to. "Well, my best friend is the red-head I was sitting over there with." Buffy pointed to the other table, where Willow was just getting up to go to class. "Her name's Willow, and I've known her since I moved here about three years ago. Xander's her boyfriend. The other guy I hang with most is my friend Randy."

Angelus listened to her with interest, taking particular note of the fact that she didn't call Randy her boyfriend.

"What about you?" Buffy asked finally.

"Well, I'm a junior here, I transferred from UCLA when I moved her a little while ago." He didn't tell her just how little that time period had been. "I don't really know anyone in the school, but my two best friends live in Sunnydale, they're both my age. One I've known since I was young, his name's Spike."

"Another nickname?" Buffy asked with a grin.

"Exactly. His real name is much more normal than mine, but he still hates it. My other best friend is like a sister to me, her name's Cordelia."

"Why are your best friends here if you lived in LA?" Buffy inferred where he had lived when he mentioned UCLA.

"I lived here when I was younger." Angelus replied, careful not to tell her too much. "I've only been in LA for the past five years."

"I lived in LA too, before I moved here. When my parents divorced, Mom decided we needed a change of scenes." Buffy bent the truth slightly.

"And you like it here?"

"It's nice and quiet." Buffy admitted. "Boring, is actually the word most of the time." But once you've lived here long enough you can always find things to do."

"I'm afraid I don't have that advantage." He flirted.

"Well, you already found the Bronze, that's the best source of entertainment." Buffy flirted back, at the same time wondering how she could do this. She had a boyfriend; she kept trying to remind herself. But that wasn't mattering to her traitorous heart.

"Could you show me any others?" He leaned closer to her.

"Maybe one or two." Buffy said coyly.

"Tonight?" He took her hand.

"Sure. Meet me at the Bronze at seven." Buffy replied.

"It's a date." Angelus choose the words deliberately, waiting to see the flash of realization in her eyes that she was essentially cheating on Randy. It did not appear.

"See you then." Buffy started to rise, but was stopped by the fact that he still held her hand. Both their eyes locked on their joined hands for a moment, before he kissed her hand one last time and let her go.

She walked away, wondering what the heck she was doing.

OoOoOoOoOoO

It was almost five thirty, and Buffy hadn't yet decided what to wear. She pulled one outfit after another out of her wardrobe, only to toss them aside in exasperation. In the middle of all her panic, her phone rang.

"What?" She said somewhat harshly into the receiver.

"Is Leilani there?" A voice spoke from her past.

"Why would it concern you if Leilani was here?" The reply had been so drilled into Buffy that she said it before she thought.

"Because Luna needs to speak with Leilani." The voice replied in common form.

"Leilani would love to speak to Luna." Buffy replied, although now her voice was hinged with hesitation.

The four required lines completed to satisfaction, the girl on the other end of the phone squealed excitedly. "Lani! It's been way too long, girlfriend!"

"It's been that long for a reason, Luna." Buffy replied as she sat down on her bed. "I'm out, remember. How did you even find me?"

"Ripper found out a while ago that you had gone to Sunnydale." Luna replied. "We saved that little piece of info in case we ever needed someone there."

"I'm out." Buffy repeated, although not for the first time she wondered, just slightly, if she really wanted to stay out.

"We know you are." Luna sighed. "But we really need you, just this once. You don't actually have to do anything but guide a few of us."

"Around Sunnydale?" Buffy asked.

"Exactly." Luna could feel her old friend weakening. "We've picked up word that the Kings are moving into the area, especially now that they're being chased out of LA."

"So the Knights are finally winning the war?" Buffy asked, her old life falling back around her as easy as pie.

"Yup, once we united with them, the Kings and Queens didn't stand a chance. Each of us separate were smaller than them, so they never had any worries. But once we united, boom. Bullies running in every direction."

"And now lots of them running for Sunnydale."

"Not if we can help it." Luna said, and Buffy had to agree with her on that. The last thing she wanted was for the two pairs of biggest gangs in the country to start a war in the middle of her new home.

"I'll help you. When?" Buffy said after a minute of silence.

"Now." Luna replied. "Me and three of the girls are already in the city. We'll meet you at North Park in ten minutes."

"Why the rush?" Buffy wondered aloud.

"Cause the Kings and Queens are moving in fast."

"Fine." Buffy said as she hung up. She looked around her room with sudden excitement.

Then she remembered Angelus.

She would either be late for the date or miss it entirely, but that couldn't be helped now. She only hoped he'd understand why she had stood him up, once she came up with a reason to tell him that was.

Buffy sighed and pulled an old trunk out of her closet. Lifting off the two blankets that were always laying on the top of it, she pulled out an assortment of red and black clothes.

She quickly dressed in black boots, tight black pants, and a red shirt with a velvet black dragon crawling up the one side of it. She pulled out a small knife and attached it to the holder inside her boot.

Quickly applying make-up and doing her hair up to keep it out of her way, Buffy got into her car and drove to North Park.

Luna already sat on one of the benches when she got there, along with two other of her old friends, and a third she did not know.

"Leilani!" Luna got up as she approached, pulling her old friend into a hug.

"Hey Luna!" Buffy hugged her back, still getting used to being called by her old gang name again. "Hi Kat, Chandra." Buffy greeted the two that she knew.

"And this is Siren." Kat introduced her to the other girl, who looked up at Buffy as if measuring her strength.

"Nice to meet you." Buffy replied with a grin, feeling at ease among her old friends, despite the fact that she hadn't seen any of them in almost three years. "Glad to see the colors haven't changed." She said as she took in the other girls, all in black and various shades of red.

Chandra laughed. "Luna would have warned you if they had."

"Of course I would have." Luna grinned. "I'm surprised you still have anything with our colors."

"I still love you all." Buffy said somewhat defensively. "Mom made me move when she found out about the Ladies, it wasn't as if I had much of a choice."

"I know, I meant I was surprised she let you keep any of it."

"Oh." Buffy said sheepishly. "Then just rewind and forget that little outburst. But anyway, she didn't let me keep it. She doesn't know I still have any of it."

"That explains that." Kat said with a grin.

"Sure does." Chandra also grinned. "Now, about being Little Miss Tour Guide…"

"Where do you guys need to go?"

TBC….

AN: Okay, the Kings have nothing to do with the Latin Kings. The Kings, Queens, Knights, and Ladies are all made up gangs and all colors, symbols, and gestures are entirely fictional. Any resemblance to any real gangs is entirely coincidental. (Hoping that's enough that no one who's in one gets annoyed…)


	3. The Build Up

-1

Chapter 3: The Build-up

Nearly an hour later, Buffy had shown them all the places they had asked about, and had been shocked by the number of Kings and Queens already in her city. Even more shocking was the amount of drugs she saw.

"What are we going to do?" Luna asked when the group had moved away from their latest discovery.

"We've gotta get as many of our people in here as fast as we can." Siren replied.

"Just make sure they don't come in wearing our colors." Buffy interjected. "I saw tons of black and white at both the bus station and the airport. The Queens are watching to make sure we don't come in."

"You're using that 'we' awful fast." Siren interrupted.

"She was a Lady for six years, Siren. From when she was 9 until her mom packed her away at 15. She'd still be with us in LA if it hadn't been for that." Kat leapt to Buffy's defense very quickly.

"How do you know she's still with us?" Siren's voice got louder.

"She would never turn!" Chandra yelled.

"Stop fighting!" Luna commanded, looking around nervously.

But it was too late; they had already drawn attention.

"Well, well, what have we here?" Three guys materialized beside them, sporting the black and gold of the Kings.

"You've got five Ladies who don't like what you're up to here." Luna snapped, although the others could see the fear in her eyes if not her posture.

"Ladies, huh?" The oldest of the Kings sneered. "And none of your white Knights to protect you?"

"We don't need them." Buffy said as she leaned down and pulled her boot knife in one smooth motion. Behind her she heard the others also drawing weapons.

"You think you can take us?" The three guys already had weapons in hands, although none of them carried the guns Buffy had been alarmed to find on over half the Kings she had seen that night.

"Nope." Buffy said snidely, falling back into the person she used to be. She took three steps, until she was toe to toe with the leader of the other group. "I know we can."

The man ran a hand through his bleached-blond hair, and turned partly away, as if considering her statement. Then his hand suddenly hooked downward, aiming for her face. It was a blow that most people never saw in time.

But Buffy was well trained in fighting. She caught his balled up hand in her open palm, using his own momentum against him and twisting his arm so it was behind his back. She felt a bone beginning to crack as she exerted more and more pressure.

The four girls with her moved quickly once she had started things, falling easily onto the other two men and double-teaming them. The three Kings were on the ground in a matter of moments; they were full of bruises, and maybe a cracked bone or two.

Siren pulled a gun from the back of her pants, but Buffy put her hand up. "No."

"They'll report that we were here!" Siren told her.

"They'll report that a few girls beat them up?" Kat was the voice of reason.

"Not girls. Ladies." Luna stressed their gang name. And she did have a point.

"But we can't kill them." Chandra argued with the other two.

"No, we can't." Luna finally agreed, motioning Siren to put the gun away. Siren did, although she glared at Buffy the entire time.

"But we can give them a message to take to the leader of the Kings." Buffy said softly.

Luna kicked the side of the bleached-blond. He moaned and looked up at her. "Tell your boss that the Ladies and Knights are in Sunnydale too. And we're gonna get rid of you if it's the last thing we do."

Luna bent to pick up the switchblade that one of the men had dropped before turning and sauntering away. The other Ladies followed, making certain to take all the guys weapons as they left.

OoOoOoOoOoO

'It's only 20 minutes after seven.' Buffy thought as she burned rubber stopping her car in the alley by the Bronze. 'Please let him still be here.'

Buffy practically ran into the club, eyes scanning the crowd nervously.

"Fashionably late?" Angelus's voice said from behind her.

Buffy spun around to find him looming over her.

"Yeah, I couldn't find anything to wear." Buffy quipped as he lead her to the table he had secured.

Angelus seemed to notice her outfit for the first time. Buffy noticed his eyes widen in shock for a moment before a mask fell over his face.

"What?" Buffy was confused.

"You take my breath away." Angelus said in a husky voice, causing Buffy to assume what she had seen in his eyes was merely lust. It also caused her to giggle. She did not expect someone like him to be waxing poetry.

She said as much when he asked why she giggled, and he only shrugged and said there was a lot more to most people than you could see.

"There certainly is." Buffy said, wondering what he, or any of her friends for that matter, would say if they found out she was in a gang.

OoOoOoOoOoO

"And the Tower." Willow laid out the last card in Buffy's telling.

"So far, you've seen me losing someone close to me and being betrayed by someone else that is close to me. How much worse can one reading get?" Buffy moaned.

"The Tower signifies battles, or great problems." Willow sighed.

"Or war." Buffy whispered, thinking of the gang wars she was sure would soon take over Sunnydale.

"What?" Willow hadn't caught her words.

"I said that sucks." Buffy said more loudly. "Can't I get any good cards in my future?"

"Not today." Willow said regretfully. "Do you have any idea what any of these could mean?"

"Well, losing someone close to me may be Randy. He's stopped returning my phone calls, and he didn't meet me at the Bronze last night like he has every other Friday night." Buffy replied as she flopped down on her bed.

"Do you think he knows how you feel about Angelus?" Willow asked in an almost whisper.

"He can't." Buffy groaned. "I don't even know how I feel about him. We've gone out a few times, but it always feels like he's hiding something from me. And two nights ago, he got a phone call and he had to leave really fast. He wouldn't say what it was."

"Why didn't you call him later and see?" Willow questioned as she sat down by her friend.

"I don't have his number. Every time I ask he says he'll give it to me but he always forgets, like he doesn't want me to call him or something."

"That's weird." Willow said, and was about to say more when the phone rang.

Buffy looked at her apologetically and answered it. She listened a moment, then said, "Leilani? There's no Lady present by that name."

Luna understood the code that meant she couldn't talk because someone else was in the room.

"Meet us by the Bronze as soon as your friend is gone." She said.

"No problem." Buffy replied as she hung up.

"Leilani?" Willow asked. "That's a pretty name."

"Yeah, just a wrong number though." Buffy lied. She had to find a way to get Willow out of there without making her friend suspicious.

OoOoOoOoO

"You mean she just stopped calling?" Tony asked as him and Randy pulled up outside a burger joint after basketball practice.

"She's only called once in the past week and a half." Randy complained. "And that was to cancel our standard Friday-night date. She didn't even want to talk to me, just left a message for my brother to give me."

"What are you going to do about it?"

"Since I didn't do anything to her, I guess that just means she found some hot college guy and forgot all about me." Randy answered.

OoOoOoOoOoO

Angelus hit the play button on his mother's answering machine as soon as he saw the number "1" flashing on it's display.

"Hey Randy, it's me." Buffy's beautiful voice rang out of the speaker. "I just wanted to let you know that you're still invited to the Masquerade Ball the college is having. I assume you haven't gotten back to me in over a week cause you're busy, so I hope we get to go to this dance together. Just let me know if you still want to go as the Phantom and Christine. See ya!"

Angelus chuckled. She had been seeing him steadily for a few weeks, yet she still left messages for his brother almost every day. With a flourish of his hand he hit the "delete" button, just as he had done with every other message Buffy had left.

Just then his cell phone rang. "Angelus." He said into it after two rings.

"It's Spike. Scouts say the Ladies and Knights are massing for an attack."

"Where?" Angelus said immediately.

"Charles Park." Spike replied.

"So they can march on our headquarters." Angelus realized immediately. "Get as many people there as you can, we have to hold them in the park."

"Sure thing, boss." Spike's voice held a great amount of anger; after being beat-up by those five Ladies two weeks ago, he was out for blood.

Angelus hung up and headed for the park.

OoOoOoOoOoO

"What's wrong?" Buffy asked Chandra as soon as she met up with the other girls.

"The Knights are massing to attack the Kings and Queens, and some of the Ladies went with them." Chandra answered.

"We have to stop this!" Buffy wailed. "Once we start openly fighting, it's not gonna stop till lots of us die."

"There's nothing we can do." Siren answered.

"There's one thing." A girl Buffy remembered as being called Rosa answered. "We know they have a secondary headquarters, if we kidnap a few of them from there we could use them to stop the fighting."

"That's risky." Luna answered. "There's only seven of us who stayed out of the fighting, and even if we capture a few of them, they may just fight harder to get them back."

"Unless we said we'd kill them if the fighting doesn't stop." Candy replied.

"Then we'd have to get someone pretty high up in the order, they won't stop a war for anybody."

Buffy replied.

"Cordy." Kat said at once. "She's one of the highest ranking Queens, and she's actually lived here for the past year. We thought when she moved she was out of the gang, but it turns out she was just scouting the city for them."

"We know where she lives?" Luna asked.

"Yeah, we do." Siren said with a wicked smile.

"Then let's go get her."

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

Twenty minutes later, Luna and Kat entered Charles Park to find a battle fully in swing.

Standing on the side, with Kat fighting off the ones that approached them, Luna blew a police whistle in three short, shrill bursts.

Everyone froze for a moment, then started to take off.

"I'm Lady Luna!" Luna stood up on a bench to talk. Everyone realized it was she who had blown the whistle, and looked about ready to start fighting again when she continued. "The Ladies have captured a Queen, known to you all as Cordy. We will kill her unless all this nonsense stops immediately."

"Where is she?" Spike yelled as he pushed towards Luna.

"Under the guard of five of my best Ladies." Luna said, tossing him the necklace Cordy wore with her name pendant as well as the crown of the Queens attached to it. "We don't want to hurt her, but…"

"But what?" Angelus asked, coming up next to Spike.

"We want to talk with the Kings leaders. We want them all out of Sunnydale."

"Well, you are talking to the King's leader." Angelus said as he stepped up on the bench next to Luna threateningly. "And why should we leave?"

"The Ladies and Knights were both started with one intention: To rid LA of the Kings and Queens. We didn't want to fight, we just knew we weren't safe as long as you were there. We wanted the violence to end, we wanted the drugs gone, and we wanted our neighborhoods back. We're starting to win, so you guys come here and try to take over another town."

"We can do whatever we want."

"Sure you can." Luna replied. "But Cordelia dies if you don't all leave here right now. We'll contact you in a few days with more terms."

"Why should we care about one girl?" A King called out from the back of the group.

"Because there's no need for her to die!" Angelus glared. "We can finish this another day." With that he moved down from the bench and started to lead his group away.

"This isn't over!" Spike called as the Kings and Queens left the park.

As soon as they left, Luna spun on the remaining Ladies and Knights. "What were you thinking? You know there aren't enough of us here yet to challenge them! Besides, we're supposed to avoid fighting if we can. We just want to stop them, not become them."

"We could have ended it in LA if they hadn't run." One of the Knight leaders called. "We wanted to end it here, once and for all."

"You would have." Kat replied. "They would have wiped us out, and then who would stand up to them?"

TBC….


	4. The Truth

-1

Chapter 4: The Truth

Buffy had just gotten home the next afternoon, after she had finished her shift of guarding Cordy, when she heard a car pull into her driveway. Buffy opened her door when the bell rang and found a deliveryman there. She signed for the package, and then went inside and opened it to find a beautiful light blue gown with a white half-mask.

'I've tried calling a few times, but you're never home. Of course I still want to go to the Ball with you next weekend. I won't be able to pick you up though, because I've got a few things to do right before it. I'll meet you there around nine-thirty, sorry I can't be there right when it starts. Luv ya.

Randy'

Buffy read the note attached to the mask and sunk to the floor with a sigh. Her life would have been so much less complicated if he had just dumped her. It would have saved her from choosing between the boy she had gone out with for two years and thought she loved, and the man she had only just realized she was falling in love with.

OoOoOoOoOoO

Buffy spun quickly when she heard a light tapping on her window later that day. She went to open it, and instead of finding one of the Ladies as she had expected, she found Angelus crouched on the tree outside her second story window.

"Angelus, you can't be here. My mom is right downstairs, and…"

"Buffy, please."

Buffy climbed out onto the rooftop outside her window as Angelus moved onto it from the tree. She cast a wary glance back into her room.

"What is it?" Buffy asked softly.

"I'm not going to be able to make our date tonight. Something came up." Angelus replied without preamble.

"Same here." Buffy replied. "I wasn't going to be able to make it either."

"What else do you have to do?" Angelus asked.

Buffy looked away, trying to think up something quick. "Just, uh, just a few of my friends from LA are in town, and we're gonna hang." It sounded lame the minute she said it. "What about you?"

"One of my friends is in trouble, and she needs my help." Angelus answered, just as truthfully and just as cryptically.

"You're a good friend." Buffy said as she moved closer to him. Not seeing him tonight would mean no kissing, groping, or other fun, so Buffy was determined to get a little in right then and there.

"Enough talk." Angelus answered, following her train of thought and crushing his lips to hers. Lips and hands roved wildly, on both parts, until after many minutes they had to pull apart to catch their breaths.

Buffy's arms were still wound around his neck, and she trailed them slowly downward, catching one on the chain around his neck and pulling the length of it free from his shirt.

The instant her fingers fell upon the pendant, she dropped it like a hot potato and took an unthinking step back.

"What is…" He trailed off when he noticed her eyes fixed on the pendant. "You know what that is?" He asked carefully.

Buffy's only reply was to move back into her room.

Angelus climbed in after her, looking around carefully. "Buffy?" He asked.

It was then that he noticed her pulling something out of a jewelry box across the room. She moved closer, and Buffy held up a red, ornately carved "L" pendant he knew all too well.

He could only stare at it, the same way she'd stared at his crowned letter "K."

Buffy crossed the room slowly, her eyes now locked on his. He finally looked up, to find the most intense look he had ever seen focused directly on him.

"I love you." Buffy whispered. "Even that pendant can't change that."

"I love you, too." Angelus replied as he took her hand. "I know it's wrong, and I know we shouldn't, but…"

"No buts." Buffy replied as she looked at their joined hands. "You're not a King, you're just you. A rose by any other name and all that crap." She laughed.

"Still though, if you don't want to use that name…" Angelus replied.

"Well, Buffy's actually my real name, I don't go by my other one anymore, but let's see, what else can I call you?" Buffy smiled. "Since you hate your real name."

"I don't know, ummm."

"Angel." Buffy whispered after a moment. "My Angel."

"Angel?" He balked. "Isn't that kinda girly?"

"Nope, it's perfect." Buffy smiled as she leaned in for another passionate kiss.

"So, about tonight, I assume you're…" Angelus said after a moment.

"I'm one of the group that kidnapped her in the first place." Buffy answered his unspoken question. "She's fine, Angel, really. We haven't hurt her at all; we don't want to. We just want this stupid war over."

"I'm afraid you're in the minority there. Most of my group wants to fight it out till one side has no one left." Angel replied.

"I know. Same on my side." Buffy sighed as they sat on her bed. "We're doing our best to stop it, but more and more of even the girls with me who used to be for peace are saying that killing all of you is the only way."

"Buffy, if they ever find out about us…"

"They won't." Buffy replied. "They can't. Not until we find a way to end this."

"It's not that simple, Buffy. I can't end it. It's who I am."

"It's not who you are, Angel." Buffy emphasized her new name for him. "I've seen who you are. You're a wonderful, loving man. You don't need a gang to be special or to be loved, you already are."

Angel took her face into his hands, as if measuring the truth in her eyes. "I can't promise to end it all together. But I can probably get the Kings and Queens to leave Sunnydale. Beyond that, I can't promise anything."

"How can you do that?" Buffy asked in fear, hoping it didn't mean what she thought it did.

"I'm their leader, Buffy. And as their leader, I hear a lot. If you're the girl everyone's talking about, Lilane or something…"

"Leilani." Buffy corrected automatically.

"Leilani." He amended. "If you're her, then I know you're got plenty of influence with the Ladies. Try to get them to release Cordy, and I'll try to get the Kings to leave."

"I'll do what I can." Buffy replied. "Now, you better leave. Some of my friends will be over soon. Come back late tonight, after the meeting."

"I'll be here." Angel kissed her again. "Until tonight."

[And here's Lady Callista trying to resist a really, really big urge to have them burst into song…

Tonight, tonight, won't be just any night.

Tonight there will be no morning star.

Tonight, tonight, I'll see my love…

ACK. No, stop me please. This is coming close enough to that story as it is, I must resist the urge to start putting the songs in. I must resist…..I must….Maybe if I turn off the CD….ah, much better.

Okay, I think it's passed now. On to the next part.

OoOoOoOoOoO

"So now what do we do?" Rosa asked as the seven girls who had kidnapped Cordelia the previous night gathered in Buffy's room. Luckily, her mother was working.

"I don't know, but I want out of it." Buffy sighed as she looked around.

"What do you mean?" Luna turned to her.

"I was just supposed to be tour guide, which was fine, but now suddenly I'm in the middle of this again."

"We need you, Leilani." Chandra stood up and came over to her. "And we know you'll come through for us. You have to, you're a Lady!"

"I was!" Buffy stressed the last word.

"Once a Lady, always a Lady." Chandra replied.

"A Lady 'From your first cigarette till your last dying day.'" Luna quoted.

"Yeah, you've gotta stay with us!"

"I don't want to fight!" Buffy replied. "Can't we settle this some other way?"

"There is no other way, you know that."

"If we fight, we all lose." Buffy yelled. "Every last one of us."

"We've got a meeting with all four groups in about ten minutes." Luna reminded them.

"We need a solution."

"The Ball." Siren said suddenly. "The Masquerade tomorrow night. If we meet there to talk or to give Cordy back, nothing can happen. They wouldn't dare in front of all those people."

"I don't know." Kat replied. "Their leaders are pretty ruthless."

"I don't think they are." Buffy replied. When they all looked at her, she added quickly, "You told me their leader called off the whole fight in the park rather than have one of his girls be killed. If he was ruthless or uncaring he would have considered that one girl a casualty to the greater good."

"She's right." Luna replied. "If we can talk everyone into meeting at the Ball to discuss terms and return the girl, then there's no chance anything can go wrong."

"Let's go!" Chandra grinned, linking her arm through Buffy's. "It's great to have you back!" She said to the girl who had always been like a sister to her.

"I'm not back." Buffy replied. "I just want this over."

OoOoOoOoOoO

"I'm so glad we got all four groups to agree to the terms." Angel said as him and Buffy sat on the roof outside her bed very early the next morning.

"So am I." Buffy said, even though she really wished they hadn't picked the Masque as the place to meet. Now she would be juggling four very volatile groups, one of which contained her lover, as well as Randy, who would have no idea what was going on.

"Angel, I have to tell you…." Buffy started to say just as Angel kissed her. By the time he pulled back, she was breathless.

"Buffy, if something goes wrong tonight…" This time it was Buffy who silenced him.

"I love you." She said when she finally pulled back from his lips.

"Buffy," Angel pulled a small box out of his coat pocket. "I love you."

Buffy opened the box with curiosity, not daring to hope it was what she thought it was.

It wasn't.

"Angel, what is it?" Buffy asked, looking at the strange pair of rings.

"My dad's from Ireland, he moved here only a few years before I was born. Over there, these are traditional wedding rings. The hands are for friendship, the crown is for loyalty, and the heart…"

"Is for love." Buffy whispered, tears pooling in her eyes. "It's beautiful."

Angel looked deep into her eyes, and saw the answer to a question he hadn't even asked yet. He took the smaller of the rings slowly from the box, and Buffy followed his actions with the larger one.

"I Angel, take you Buffy, to be my wife."

"I Buffy, take you Angel, to be my husband." Buffy echoed.

"For better or for worse." He said the last wryly.

"In sickness and in health." Buffy replied.

"To love and honor."

"To have and hold."

"From sunrise to sunrise." Angel smiled.

"From tomorrow till tomorrow." Buffy added an extra line herself.

"Till death to us part." Angel ended softly.

"With this ring, I thee wed." He put it on her, heart facing towards her.

"With this ring, I thee wed." Buffy did the same with him.

They leaned together in a long and passionate kiss, which ended with them almost falling off the roof. Laughing, they both made their way back into Buffy's bedroom.

TBC…….

OoOoOoOoOoO

I apologize for my wackiness, especially in my little comment after the first section of this part, but it's midnight here and I just can't seem to sleep. Maybe it's all the soda I drank at that party…. Anyway, apologies to whoever wrote West Side Story, cause this story is resembling that more and more and I just can't seem to stop it. I'll try to keep it as original as possible, and I honestly wasn't thinking of it when I first started writing, just of a way to make B&A as different as a vampire and a Slayer are, and the whole gang thing was cool, but then I heard "Tonight" on the radio the other day, and ever since… Well, whatever. I hope you're enjoying the story anyway.


	5. The Agreement

-1Chapter 5: The Agreement

…That night. The Masquerade Ball….

"Who was that, Buffy?" Willow asked as a group of girls left Buffy's side when she approached.

"Oh, just a few old friends." Buffy answered, looking at Willow with the first smile she'd had all evening. Willow wore a beautiful white angel costume, and Buffy knew that the red devil a few steps behind her must be Xander. "You two look cool!"

Willow looked down with a grin. "I like it. But it's nothing compared to that gown of yours." She said as she took in the fancy light blue gown trimmed in lace of various blue and gray shades. The white half mask over a curly brown wig completed the outfit.

"Milady." Xander grinned, bowing over Buffy's hand as he came up beside his girlfriend and their best friend. "Cinderella?" He asked curiously.

"Nope." Buffy and Willow answered as one, then laughed.

"It'll be easier to tell once my date shows up, but I'm Christine."

"From Phantom of the Opera." Willow supplied when Xander gave Buffy a blank look.

"Oh, so Randy's the Phantom? Or the Nobleman guy?"

"Raul." Buffy supplied. "But yes, he's the Phantom. Made sense with this being a Masque and all."

"What's this?" Willow asked suddenly, reaching towards the pendant on Buffy's necklace that certainly didn't match her gown.

"Oh, it's just a…um…." Buffy was at a loss for words.

"Hey, I've seen that on a few other girls here." Xander said as he looked closely at the red "L" on the gold chain at his friend's neck.

"Yeah, those are probably my friends from L.A. They're visiting, and decided to come to the party." Buffy avoided Willow's original question.

"But what does the 'L' mean?" Willow pushed.

"It's nothing guys, look…" She tried to change the subject.

"Why are you so jumpy, Buff?" Xander asked at once.

Buffy was saved from answering as she felt a pair of arms slid into place behind her. "Hey Randy." She greeted, turning to face her Phantom.

"Buffy." His voice was a whisper.

"I've been waiting for you. Let's dance." She said, trying to get away from Willow and Xander before they could ask another question that she couldn't answer.

He nodded, and led her out onto the floor. They waltzed through the number that was playing, and then came into each other's arms for the next slow song.

Buffy was so distracted by looking around her trying to find the other gang members, who all wore their necklaces outside their costumes for easy identification by other members of the gangs, that she barely noticed her date.

OoOoOoOoO

Angel danced with his beloved in his arms, wondering how long she would be too distracted by all the goings on to notice that it was not Randy she danced with.

He dreaded the moment she realized it, but he knew it was time to put his own masquerade to an end.

At first, he had dated her and messed with her messages to his brother merely because he didn't like Randy and wanted to see him suffer. But now that he knew Buffy better and had fallen in love with her, he regretted that decision greatly.

He was afraid that when she found out, it would be the end of them, and he hated himself for creating this situation. His only hope was that she would take this revelation the same way that she had when she discovered he was a King. She hadn't cared about that, so he hoped this wouldn't bother her either.

Something in his head told him those were two totally different things, but he tried to ignore that nagging voice.

He ignored it successfully for several minutes; then could ignore it no longer when it was proven correct.

OoOoOoOoOoO

Buffy had pulled away from Randy to explain why she was so distracted, when it suddenly occurred to her that 'Randy' was several inches too tall.

A closer look showed that he just happened to be Angel's height and build. She reached up and pulled up his mask.

"Angel!" She said, rather loudly. Many people glanced their way, and Buffy quickly lowered her voice. "What the hell are you doing here dressed as my date?"

"I am your date." Angel whispered, telling her exactly what he'd been up to behind her back these past few weeks. "I'm sorry, Buffy." He finished by saying. "It started as just a childish game, to take away Randy's girlfriend. Then I fell in love with you, and…"

"Don't. Don't even say it." Buffy interrupted. "How can you claim to love me? Being a King was one thing, you never claimed you weren't, and that's not exactly the kind of thing you tell a person you just met." As she spoke, she reached inside the collar of his dress shirt and pulled out the chain she knew he had to be wearing. She then went on without comment. "But lying about who you are, why you're here…"

"I'm sorry." He repeated. "I just…"

"I don't care." Buffy said, walking away from him.

Heartbroken, Angel just stood there a moment, then moved to follow her. He was still a distance away when someone tapped him on the shoulder.

He turned around, and was greeted by two guys with the black 'K' of the Knights, a red sword slashing through the center of the letter.

"You the King leader?" One of them asked.

Angel nodded, his eyes finding Spike in the crowd and motioning him to come over.

"Knight Ares." The man gave a slight bow, his right fist over his heart. "First among equals." He gave his rank.

"King Angelus." Angel repeated the bow, fist to his heart.

"Knight Diablo." The darker Knight also bowed.

"King Spike." Spike also gave the slight bow as he came up on Angel's right hand, managing to make it look mocking even with the formality of a fist on his heart.

"Your women?" Angelus asked, although he knew very well where Buffy was and assumed she lead the Ladies tonight.

"One is not here yet." Ares told him. "The other is with friends now; she's the Lady you were just fighting with on the floor a moment ago."

"Ah, yes. A spitfire, that one." Angel made it seem like he'd just run into her on the floor and started to argue with her. He also thanked the gods that no one from either side had seen them dancing.

Willow and Xander came up to Buffy as soon as she stomped off the dance floor.

"That wasn't Randy." Xander said in shock.

"No, that…" Willow trailed off as she saw the man in question bowing very oddly to two other young men. "Isn't that Angelus?" She wasn't sure anymore.

"Yeah, and he's such a creep!" Buffy was fuming on the outside, although inside her emotions were whirling. She loved him so much, and had thought he loved her too. Maybe he did, maybe everything had happened just as he said…

"What are they doing?" Xander asked in confusion, still looking at the bowing men.

Buffy looked over just in time to see Spike bow to Ares and another Knight she didn't know. "How should I know?" She sounded innocent.

"Maybe cause those guys have pendants that look a heck of a lot like yours." Xander retorted. "Buff, what is going on at this dance? I've seen more necklaces here with L's, K's, and Q's then I've ever seen in my life. What are they?"

Buffy was saved from answering when she saw two girls come up beside Xander. Then she looked at their necklaces and wished they hadn't come.

"What do you want?" She tried to keep her voice civil.

"Where's the Lady in charge?" The blond Queen facing her asked.

Buffy sighed that at least the other girl had noticed she was with non-gang members and hadn't said anything too damaging. Then she looked around and noticed that Luna wasn't there yet. That, unfortunately, left her in charge.

"She's not here yet." Buffy said softly.

"What are you talking about?" Willow asked. "The president of Kei Epsilon Gamma organized the party. She's right…"

"I did not ask you, and that's not who I was talking about…" The blond retorted.

"Forgive her." Buffy spoke quickly. "She doesn't know what we're talking about, she's not one of us."

"Then she should keep out of business concerning u…" The Queen began.

"She doesn't know about us at all." Buffy spoke quickly, gesturing for Willow and Xander to keep their mouths shut. "And as I was going to say, the Lady in charge is not here, but I speak as her second until she arrives."

The two other girls looked at each other, then they shrugged and each held out a hand, palms up and fingers curled inward.

Buffy put her hand palm down over the hand of one girl, and curled her fingers to lock with the others. Knuckles resting on each other's palms, they held that way for a second, then flipped their hands over so that the other girl's was on top.

"I'm Queen Krystal. I speak for us." The blond said.

"I'm Lady Leilani." Buffy said as she turned to the other girl and performed the odd 'handshake' again. She ignored Willow's gasp as she heard the name Leilani again. "I speak for us until Luna arrives."

"I'm Queen Aurora." The darker haired girl responded. "I speak for us if Krystal cannot." She affirmed her position as second.

"Your men?" Buffy questioned.

"Meeting yours." Krystal replied. "Shall we?" She gestured in their direction.

Buffy nodded, and fell into step beside the other two. She turned her head back towards her friends momentarily, "I'll explain later." She mouthed.

Willow nodded; Xander just continued to stare at her retreating back in total confusion.

"What just happened here?" He asked after a moment.

"No clue." Willow said in the same voice of confusion.

OoOoOoOoOoO

The three women approached the four men, who stood there watching them. Upon reaching them, introductions were performed again: between Buffy and the Kings, and then between the two Queens and the Knights. Each intro consisted of the person being named by the male/female they had already introduced themselves to, and then the male bowing over the female's hand.

To an outsider, it looked just as odd as the strange bowing and handshakes did; but it was a way of greeting the four gangs had developed early on as a way of identifying each other when meeting on the streets. The necklaces weren't always enough, especially since some wore then under shirts for fear of police harassment. It also showed the honor of each member, that they could be civil to each other when necessary.

"Shall we go to a more private room?" Spike asked as he finished bowing over Buffy's hand.

"No." Ares said at once. "We choose to meet here for the very reason that all the people around will remind us stay civil."

"Very well." Spike said, turning to Buffy. "You have terms for Cordy's release?"

"Yes, we do. If you all leave town and return to L.A., we'll follow you and return Cordelia."

"You haven't hurt her?" Krystal asked in concern.

"No. And we don't want to." Buffy echoed the way she had answered Angel when he asked her that question. "We only want to keep your gangs from spreading and expanding their influence."

"So, you just expect us to leave?" Spike asked.

"Spike!" Angel finally interrupted. "Are you first or second?"

Spike glared at him but didn't say anything.

"We will leave, but what guarantee do we have that she'll be returned?" Angel said.

"We can't just leave!" Aurora turned to Angel. "Cordy was the first one who wanted to come here, and if she finds out we all left because of her…"

"Would you rather she be dead?" Angel retorted.

"No, but there has to be another way." Aurora said in the same firm voice.

"There is." A new voice said from behind Buffy.

The others spun on her, seeing who dared to interrupt; Luna held her hand out, palm up and fingers curled, and faced Krystal. "I'm Lady Luna, and I speak for the Ladies."

Introductions of everyone were repeated for Luna's sake, upon which Angel gestured for her to speak her idea.

"I say we fight it out." Luna said immediately.

"A good, old-fashioned rumble." Spike stressed the last word, almost as if it were a joke.

"No." Luna said. "We don't want lots of people fighting. Two on two. Best King and Queen versus best Lady and Knight."

"Luna, no. We can't fight, then everybody loses." Buffy said softly.

Her soft protest was unheard over Krystal and Aurora's enthusiastic agreement. The two Knights agreed a moment later, and Spike also nodded his head.

She was left facing Angel, although she knew both their votes had just been made irrelevant. Standard rules were that only six out of the eight leaders had to agree on something like this, as long as three of those were the Firsts of the groups.

"I vote against it." Angel said after a moment, knowing it was no more than a formality.

"As do I." Buffy said, looking anywhere but into his chocolate eyes.

Luna took that in, a betrayed look in her eyes. Then they glassed over. "The fight proceeds."

"Midnight." Krystal chose the time.

"At the park." Spike supplied.

Luna shook her head. "To many homes in the area." She looked to Buffy, as they had the next choice.

"There's a mansion on Crawford Street." Buffy said when she noticed all eyes were on her. "All the houses in the area are pretty run down, so there's no one else around. But the mansion's pretty cool. It's got a really big…well, I guess it was originally a ballroom, but it'd be perfect for a fight."

Everyone nodded his or her agreement.

"Knives." Ares supplied his choice of weapons.

"No." Aurora shook her head. "Why not fight without weapons?"

The four men looked at each other measuringly. They realized that the women didn't generally like to fight with weapons, and they did agree that it would make things easier. After all, they didn't really want to kill anyone.

"A fist fight." Luna nodded her head in confirmation, everyone else following a moment after her.

"Each group brings no more than eight members to the mansion." Spike added the final stipulation. He knew that too many people could cause this to get out of hand.

"Very well." Diablo said after looking to the others on his side.

"Until midnight, then." Angel said after he realized everyone looked to him to end the meeting. "You'll bring Cordelia?" He directed the question to Buffy.

"We will." She answered swiftly after she saw Luna give a small nod. "You'll get her back either way. The fight merely determines whether you leave Sunnydale or not."

Angel nodded his agreement and reached out for Buffy's hand. She let him kiss her hand as each of them bowed their heads. Spike and Luna repeated the sealing of the deal, followed by Ares and Aurora and then Diablo and Krystal.

"Until midnight." Several voice spoke as one as the eight of them parted company.

"Why don't you want to fight?" Luna asked Buffy as they and the two Knights walked away from the others.

"Because I think we can solve this other ways." Buffy answered. 'And because I love Angel.' Her mind added, although she couldn't say that outloud.

"You know you'd be our choice for the fight, don't you?" Luna asked.

"Yeah, I was afraid of that. I can't." Buffy answered.

"But you're the best, Leilani." Ares came up next to her and put an arm around her shoulders. She remembered him from her L.A. days; he had always been a good friend.

"But I've changed, Ares." Buffy smiled a small smile. "Too much to go back, I'm sorry. I would have liked to fight at your side again."

"I'm not fighting, Di here is." Ares indicated Diablo. "He's better than me, hand to hand."

Buffy let out a soft whistle. "Then we've already won." Buffy said, remembering Ares as one of the only Knights that could beat her in a fistfight.

"It'd be even more sure with you at my side, from what I've heard." Diablo said from his place on the other side of Buffy.

"I appreciate that, but Chandra's almost as good as me." Buffy replied. "I'm sure she'll be a good match with you. That is who you're picking, right?" Buffy turned to Luna.

"Unless things have changed in the past few years…"

"Nope. Chandra's our choice. After you, that is."

"I'm not even going." Buffy replied. "I didn't even want to be here tonight, but I did it for you. This is as far as I can go."

"I understand." Luna said after looking in her eyes a moment. "I'm sorry for pulling you back into all this."

"It's okay. You know I'd do anything for you guys." Buffy hugged her friend.

"And we'd do anything for you." Ares replied as he also hugged her.

"I'll remember that." Buffy grinned. "Luck be with you tonight."

"She always is." Diablo grinned back at her and took her hand briefly to say goodbye.

Buffy walked away from them, still wishing there was something she could do to stop this stupid fight before someone got hurt. At least she knew they'd all be able to walk away from the fight, something that couldn't have been guaranteed in any of the gang's past clashes.

Buffy got a few feet away from them and ran smack in to Willow and Xander.

"Now will you tell us what all that was about?" Willow asked.

Buffy sighed and briefly rubbed her temples. She loved both of them and owed them an explanation, but explaining the whole story would take away the time she needed to come up with a plan to stop the fight.

She was about to brush them off again when Aurora walked by them on her way to leaving the party. "You and your stupid Knights are gonna loose this fight." She tossed over her shoulder to Buffy as she passed.

"Knights?" Xander asked as something suddenly clicked into place. "That's the girl who said she was looking for a lady before." He suddenly realized that the word "Lady" was supposed to be capitalized. Then everything else made sense. "I thought the Queen and Lady thing was a coincidence, but you're really…"

"Yeah, I am." Buffy confirmed. "There's Kings here too. All four groups have moved their war to this town."

"Huh?" Willow looked at them both in confusion. Xander was obviously more street smart than his bookish girlfriend.

"Remember when I went to L.A. last summer, to visit my grandparents?" Xander turned to her. She nodded and he continued. "Remember I told you about the four major gangs and all their graffiti in the city?"

"Yeah, but I don't…" Willow began, then her face changed the exact way Xander's had when things clicked into place for him.

Buffy only sighed and pulled them over to a table to explain.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

"I won't be there, Spike." Angel informed his friend.

"You have to be, you're our leader."

"By the time Krystal and Aurora are done, everyone's gonna know I don't support this fight." Angel replied. "Me being there won't make any sense."

"But you're our best fighter." Spike argued.

"You're just as good as me." Angel argued. "Besides, it'll give you a chance at Leilani again. I'm pretty sure she's their best, and I know you can beat her in a fair fight." Even as he said it, he wasn't sure how he felt about knowing she would be fighting.

In all truth, that was the reason he wasn't going.

He was also fairly sure she could beat even him, in a fair fight. Especially since he wouldn't be able to bring himself to fight his hardest for fear of hurting her.

"So, me and who?" Spike said with resignation.

"Unless the Ladies have mistreated her, the Queens will probably pick Cordelia as soon as they get her back. She's their best fighter." Angel replied.

"That's true, she is." Spike agreed. "So, where are you gonna go off to brood?"

Angel ignored his friend's choice of words. He had always teased him that he was too serious and thoughtful. "My house."

"I'll stop there after the fight." Spike promised. "Tell you how badly we beat them."

"You do that." Angel said as they parted company after clasping hands quickly.

Angel got into his car and drove home, brooding the entire time over a way to convince Buffy that he really did love her.


	6. The Fight

-1

Chapter 6: The Fight

"But you're not going to the fight?" Willow said almost a half an hour later when Buffy had finally finished explaining everything to her and Xander.

"No, I, I can't." Buffy sighed. "I never wanted to get back in with them, and if I fight for them like I used to then I'll never be free again."

"Plus there's no way you could fight Angelus." Willow said softly.

Buffy shook her head sadly, a few tears trailing down her face.

"Not even after what he did?" Xander asked in a harder voice.

"No." Buffy sobbed. "I still love him, no matter what he did. I don't think anything he ever does could change that."

"Then why don't you go tell him that?" Willow gave her friend a slight smile.

"Cause he'll be at the rumble." Buffy's voice got lighter and more sarcastic on the last word, as her friends had heard it do several times throughout her story. She apparently found it funny that the gangs had chosen to call the fight such an old-fashioned word.

"Then go there." Xander advised. "You said you wanted to stop it anyway."

"I don't know if I can stop it." Buffy's voice became urgent.

"But if it's as important to you as it sounds, you have to try." Willow urged.

"I know I do." Buffy stood up. "I'm just not sure how to do it."

OoOoOoOoOoO

"Is everybody here?" Luna asked as she looked around at the young men and women in the mansion's old ballroom.

"Angelus ain't." One of the Kings replied.

"He's not coming, mate." Spike spoke up, counting his eight men. "Yeah, we're all here."

"Same here." Both Ares and Krystal answered, counting their own people. The Queens had only seven, knowing that Cordelia would be added to their numbers.

"Then let's get this going." Luna said as she gestured towards one of the doors to the room. Kat, Siren, and Rosa came in, bringing the number of Ladies in the room up to seven. Luna still held out hope that Leilani would come, despite what she had said. Following them, looking none the worse for wear, was Cordelia.

Head held high, she walked over to the Queens and was greeted by a round of hugs. They put their heads together for a minute, and when they broke apart again Cordelia moved to stand next to Spike.

He put an arm around her briefly, "Partners?"

"Yup. I've got a bone to pick with these Ladies." Cordelia said the word 'ladies' as if it was the biggest joke she had ever heard.

The two of them stepped forward together.

Chandra and Diablo came together on the other side of the room, took hands, and stepped forward to meet them.

"Everyone ready?" Luna asked after the four had completed the odd bows the groups always used.

She got four affirmative answers, and the fight began.

At first, it seemed as if there would be two separate fights entirely; Cordelia immediately went after Chandra, who she recognized as one of her captors. Diablo went after Spike in a similar fashion, simply because he knew the bleached blond loved to fight and would press any advantage if he wasn't immediately put on the defensive.

The two pairs circled warily, trading light blows and feints meant to test the strength of the other person. All seemed somehow reluctant to land the first serious hit.

"Stop this!" A voice suddenly called out.

All heads in the room turned to find Buffy charging into the room.

"Leilani! You made it!" Luna came over to her excitedly. "They haven't started yet, you can still…"

Chandra moved over towards them, ready to leave the fight and let Buffy in.

"No, I'm not taking your place." Buffy turned to Chandra. "I'm trying to end this. We shouldn't be doing this."

"Too afraid to fight your own battles?" Spike taunted from across the room, still keeping a wary eye on Diablo.

"No, there doesn't need to be a fight at all!" Buffy moved towards where Cordelia had come to stand by the blonde's side.

"You just know I'd beat you in a fair fight." Cordelia sneered. "When you're not with six of your friends to back you up." She shoved Buffy lightly.

Buffy stumbled slightly, but came right back to face her. "I'm not fighting." She repeated.

Luna edged toward the very front of the crowd, determined to defend the girl she loved like a sister if she didn't start defending herself.

Cordelia got right up in her face. "No?" She shoved her harder, causing Buffy to fall back into the crowd gathered in a circle around them. Luckily, she fell into the group of Ladies who immediately helped her up.

"Don't take this crap from a Queen, Leilani!" One of the girls hissed.

Buffy turned to see who had said it, and when she turned back to the center of the room again Cordelia was right in her face. "Just you and me, Lady. Cut out the guys, this is personal." Cordelia offered.

"Deal." Luna said from beside Buffy, throwing a hard punch at Cordelia's midsection. The Queen sprawled out onto the floor, looking up in shock.

"Oh, you so shouldn't have done that." Cordelia jumped up, coming at Luna.

The two circled rapidly, and began a quick succession of punches and kicks. This wasn't the warming up that had been going on before; these two were all out fighting.

"Cordy!" Krystal yelled after the fight had gone on several minutes without either of them looking like they would come out on top.

Cordelia turned towards her friend just in time to see a silver object come flying through the air. She grabbed it and flipped it open, holding the switch out in front of her.

Luna snarled and reached down into her boot, pulling out a short knife that had been in a holder there.

Both girls slashed at each other, neither drawing blood but coming very close.

Luna eventually got the upper hand, her knife slicing through Cordelia's sleeve and putting a thin line of blood on her arm.

Momentarily shocked, Cordelia was knocked to the floor and Luna loomed over her.

"No!" Buffy shouted, running into the fight and pulling her old best friend off of Cordelia. "Don't." She knew Luna would have killed her if she hadn't been stopped.

"Stay out of it, Lani." Luna hissed, breaking free of her friend and charging back towards Cordelia. She failed to see that Cordelia had her knife back up.

Luna charged towards Cordelia, intent in bringing her blade down upon the Queen. Just as she was about to do so, Cordelia suddenly thrust upward with her smaller switchblade, impaling Luna in the stomach.

Time seemed to slow.

Luna's eyes widened in shock, her free hand going to her stomach.

"NO!" Buffy screamed, moving towards her friend.

Cordelia dropped the knife in shock, letting it clatter to the floor.

Spike started moving towards her, as did Krystal and Aurora.

Ares and Chandra were right on Buffy's heels.

Buffy reached Luna as her friend started to slump to the floor, catching her and lowering her so Luna's head was in her lap.

"Leilani." Luna looked right into her eyes, pressing her boot knife into Buffy's hand.

"Luna, I'm sorry." Buffy whispered.

But her friend was beyond hearing.

Ares reached down to put a hand on her shoulder, but Buffy was in motion before he could touch her.

Getting up, the knife firmly in her hand, Buffy stalked towards Cordelia, and reached her just as Spike had taken her arm, intent on leading her away.

Buffy brought the knife up fast, stabbing down into Cordelia's chest. "Murderer!" She cried, unaware of the irony of the word, spoken as she did the very thing she was accusing the other girl of.

"Cordy!" Aurora cried as the girl went down, Spike barely catching her.

Buffy dropped the knife in shock. "No." She whispered.

Suddenly, she heard the wail of police sirens in the distance.

Chandra was suddenly beside her, pulling on her arm as kids rapidly cleared out of the room. "Leilani, come on!"

"Angel." Buffy whispered, barely hearing her friend. "Oh gods, Angel, what have I done?"

Spike, still kneeling by Cordelia, looked up at her in shock at hearing a name he assumed could be none other than Angelus's. Although where the girl came up with such a girly nickname for his friend he had no time to wonder.

Snarling at her, he abandoned the task of trying to carry Cordelia away, in his panicked state he couldn't even lift her. Taking one look back, he fled the scene, hot on the heels of the rest of the gang members.

Only Buffy and Chandra remained.

"Leilani!" Chandra gave her friend a hard yank, pulling her towards the door.

Buffy finally started moving, fleeing the scene as fast as her legs could carry her, tears streaming down her face.

Chandra looked around quickly, grabbing both knives from the floor before taking off herself.

When the police of Sunnydale finally arrived, reacting to a tip by a neighbor who had seen lots of kids going into the old, abandoned mansion, they found only the dead bodies of two girls, and a lot of unanswered questions.

OoOoOoOoO

Ring

Ring

Angel had his cell phone open before the third ring. "Talk to me."

"Angelus man, we need help." Spike sounded more panicked than Angel had ever heard.

"What happened?" He snapped.

"At the rumble…..the girls pulled knives…..they, oh, man, they……" Spike continued to ramble, but Angel couldn't get much out of it.

"Buffy! Is Buffy okay?" Angel asked, panicking almost as much as Spike.

"Who the bloody hell is Buffy?"

"Leilani. Lady Leilani, is she…." Angel screamed.

"She killed Cordelia!" Spike yelled, the hatred in his voice now directed partly at Angel as he confirmed what he had suspected when he heard Leilani whispering his boss's name.

"What?" Angel said, sinking down on the bed in shock.

"She's dead, Angelus." Spike's voice grew hoarse. "And so is one of the Ladies, look, man, we gotta do something before.."

"Gather up everyone you can find." Angel snapped. "Get them out of town, now. Both girls were wearing their pendants, the cops will know who did this as soon as they find the bodies, and they'll arrest any King or Queen they find in town."

"What about Leilani?" Spike growled. "She lives here."

"I know." Angel snapped, "I'll take care of Leilani."

"What about yourself?"

"I'll get out as soon as I can. Now go gather everyone." Angel said as he hung up and threw the phone across the room. It shattered on his wall, and he looked around for something else to throw. He found a picture of him and Buffy and started to rip it in half.

"Please don't." Buffy whispered from the window, where she had been for the last several minutes.

"You!" He spun on her, looking as if he was about to hit her. "Why? You said you didn't want to fight, why…"

"I didn't want to." Buffy said, venturing a little further into his room as she realized that no matter how mad he was at her, he was going to let her explain her actions. "I got there late, and I tried to stop the fight, but Cordelia just wouldn't stop pushing. I wouldn't fight back, though, so Luna jumped in for me. She was always the sister I never had, I loved her so much, and when Cordelia killed her, I…." She trailed off when she saw his face.

"You didn't know?"

"No." He whispered hoarsely, all the anger draining from him as he slumped back onto his bed. "Spike just said that Cordy and one of the Ladies were dead, and that you killed Cor. He didn't say she had killed your best friend first…"

"He probably didn't even know she was my best friend." Buffy whispered, sitting next to him carefully. She was relieved when he didn't move away. "I think if we hadn't heard the sirens, he would have come after me for killing Cordy just like I went after her for killing Luna. Then Ares or someone would have tried to avenge me, and so on. It wouldn't have stopped, Angel. It'll never stop now."

"Yes it will." He whispered, wrapping an arm around her when he realized she was crying. She leaned into him gratefully. "I ordered all of the Kings and Queens out of the city. They'll head back to L.A."

"I did the same with the Ladies." Buffy whispered, still in shock over the fact that they had turned to her for leadership with Luna dead. "And Ares is rounding up the Knights, and then they're leaving too. But they're just gonna go back to L.A. and start the killing and the fighting all over again."

"No, they won't." Angel said gently, stroking her hair. "We'll find a way to end it."

"Will we?" Buffy asked brokenheartedly, even as an idea began to slowly form in her brilliant mind. "Angel, I…..I killed someone. I've never, I mean…."

"It's okay, Buffy." Angel said. "It was an accident. You weren't thinking straight. It's okay, beloved." He continued to hold and touch her comfortingly.

"Angel, can we get out here?" She asked softly. "Sunnydale, I mean. Just leave together, and never come here or to L.A. again. Start our lives over."

"That's about the only thing we can do."

"I think I know a way."

"How? I mean, what can we do?" Angel asked as she pulled back to look in his eyes.

Buffy outlined her plan.

TBC….


	7. The Plan

Chapter 7: The Plan

"Yeah, everybody out of the city, tonight." Spike spoke to the assembled group of Queens and Kings. "Angelus is gonna take care of the Lady that burned Cordelia, and then he's gonna join us."

"But we can't leave him by himself." Rock, one of the higher ranking Kings, spoke up.

"He wants to do this alone." Spike emphasized, even though he himself had no intention of letting that happen. Especially since he alone knew about Angelus and Leilani.

"We want to make sure Leilani dies!" Krystal spoke up. Many Queens echoed that sentiment.

"Okay, look, here's what we'll do." Spike held up his hands for silence. "Rock, you and Sonny can stay with me. Krystal, you and two others can stay as well. Everyone else, out of here tonight. The six of us will make sure she's taken care of."

The Queens gathered around Krystal as the Kings started to leave the room to pack up all their stuff, both personal and otherwise.

"Aurora, Lanfear, you two stay with me." Krystal picked out Cordelia's two closest friends besides herself. "Everyone else, go with the Kings that are leaving. We'll meet up with you again in L.A. Faith, you're in charge of everyone till I get back."

Krystal, with Aurora and Lanfear only a few steps behind her, went over to where Spike stood with Sonny and Rock. "So, what's the plan?"

OoOoOoOoOoO

"Okay, here's what we're gonna do." Chandra spoke to the assembled Ladies and Knights. Ares stood right next to her. "Leilani said we should get out of town, which is a good idea."

"As soon as the cops see the 'L' and the 'Q' on those bodies, they're gonna know exactly what happened and come after anyone wearing one of our four letters." Ares continued. "So we need to leave, now."

"But we also need to find Leilani." Chandra added. "She ran off after telling us to get out of town, and I'm sure she's in shock from what she did for us."

"And the Queens and probably the Kings as well will be after her for killing Cordy." Diablo spoke up from the front row.

"That's right, I'm sure they will." Ares agreed. "So, what we need is a few people, and I mean a few, to stay and help us find her and get her to come with us."

"She may have left us for a time, but she's proven that underneath it all she's a true Lady. She came through for us, and now we've gotta do whatever we can for her."

"I'm staying." Diablo said at once. Even though he was one of the few that hadn't known Leilani from L.A. as she had left before he joined, he had come to like her a great deal in the brief time he'd known her in Sunnydale.

"Me too." Durus spoke up as well. He was one of Leilani's ex-boyfriends, and it surprised no one that he would volunteer.

"Okay, that's good for Knights." Ares cut other requests off.

"Now we need a few Ladies." Chandra replied.

Kat, Rosa, and Candy spoke up at once, and since they were three who had been in it from the beginning and were good friends of Leilani's, Chandra agreed to let all three come.

"Now, while the seven of us are getting Leilani and helping her, the rest of you get the hell out of Dodge." Ares used an old phrase. "Lucky's in charge."

"Siren, you're in charge of us." Chandra added as the group disbanded.

The seven of them gathered in the center of the room as everyone else left.

"Okay, here's the plan."

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

"If you're right about what our groups will do, it'll work out great." Angel said. It had taken him a little while to come around to her way of thinking, and he was still skeptical as to if it would work or not, but he could think of nothing else.

"Well, I'm sure I know what my two will do." Buffy smiled. "And I doubt yours would leave you behind any more than mine will."

"And you're sure you can talk your friends into helping you?"

"I explained everything to Willow and Xander before, and they understood how much I wanted to get out but felt I couldn't. They'll do anything they can to help, I'm sure." Buffy's strong tone of voice backed up her words.

"Okay, then, if you're sure. Cause you're the one taking all the risks here." Angel pulled her into his arms, worried about what could happen if any part of her plan went wrong.

"I'm sure. Everything'll be fine."

"Then let's get moving." Angel kissed her briefly, then let her go.

Buffy climbed out his window, dropping to the ground carefully. "See you in a little while, I just need to pack my stuff." She called back, choosing her words carefully because she was pretty sure someone was hiding in the bushes not too far away.

"I'll meet you at your house in a little while then." Angel called out as she left.

He pulled back into the shadows of his room, and wasn't surprised to see a figure clad in black and white rise from a bush a moment later and run quickly away.

He watched the Queen go. "Let the games begin." He whispered.

OoOoOoOoOoO

"You two got all that?" Buffy asked Willow and Xander, who had been on three-way calling with her for the past ten minutes.

"Buffy, that's crazy." Xander protested.

"Yeah, I know." Buffy whispered. "There's about ten different factors I had to guess on, and any one of them going wrong could get me killed, but there's really no other choice here. Angel and I have to do this, or we'll never be free."

"Are you sure there's no other way?" Willow asked reluctantly.

"I'm sure."

"I'm gonna miss you so much, Buffy."

"Why don't you and Xander come with?" Buffy said, only half joking.

"Could we?" Xander asked seriously.

"Yeah, I mean, if you want. Cause I can't see my life without you two." Buffy said.

"But we couldn't even tell our parents where we're going." Willow replied.

"No, you couldn't." Buffy agreed. "But at least your parents won't think you're dead."

Neither of her friends had anything to say to that.

"We're going." Willow said after a minute of silence.

"Okay then. Pack a bag quickly, and bring it with you. Drop it in the park just down the street from my house, we'll pass there on our way to the bus station." Buffy said quickly.

They both agreed and hung up.

Buffy quickly redialed the phone, and Angel picked up on the first ring.

"Plan is in motion." She said quickly.

"I'm on my way." Angel hung up just as quickly.

OoOoOoOoO

"Leilani?" Chandra asked quickly when someone picked up the phone at her friends house.

"Chandra, is that you?" Buffy asked quickly. They had no time for formalities.

"The Kings and Queens are after you." Chandra said. "Durus found a few of them not too far from your house, and they've got steel."

"I've gotta get out of here." Buffy whispered, sounding desperate.

"We're coming to help you. Just stay where you are."

OoOoOoOoO

"That her house?" Spike asked as he joined the two Queens who were already there.

"That's where she went after leaving Angelus." Lanfear replied. "Now will you tell us what the hell she was doing there."

"Another time." Spike replied as three other people came up behind him. "Anything?"

"No sign of Angelus. He left his house a few minutes ago, but we lost him downtown. He was walking past an alley, a car blocked our view for a few seconds, and all of a sudden he was gone." Sonny reported. "There were signs of a struggle."

Spike abruptly signaled for silence as a boy dressed in red and black ran up the steps to Leilani's house. Spike didn't recognize the lanky boy, but his colors showed him to be a Knight.

The door was opened for him and he quickly stepped inside. Nothing happened for a minute or so, and then Leilani came charging out with the boy hot on her heels.

"Leilani, wait!"

"We got him!" A girl in red and black came charging up from the opposite direction.

"We were looking for you, and suddenly Angelus was there, and the guys grabbed him!"

"What happened to him?" Leilani spun on the girl furiously.

"He's dead!" She said joyously. "Just like you wanted."

"Just like I wanted?" Leilani grew more angry. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"You said that it was their fault Luna was dead, and…" The redhead never got to finish her statement as Buffy suddenly let out a loud wail.

Spike put a hand on Rock's shoulder, who looked ready to charge in and kill all three people in front of Leilani's house with his bare hands. "Wait."

"How could you kill him?" Leilani asked in dispair. "Haven't we had enough killing?"

"Never!" The boy shouted.

"Then what's one more dead?" Leilani grabbed for the boy and the gun obvious in his pants waistband. "They're gonna get me sooner or later for killing Cordy, might as well save them the trouble."

The boy pulled away from Leilani, and Spike and the others could only watch in shock as Leilani fell to the ground, crying and frantic over the loss of her lover.

"Buffy!" A voice called suddenly from the direction of the park. "Buffy."

Leilani looked around in shock. "Angel?" She asked.

Angelus suddenly appeared running down the street, and Spike and the other Kings and Queens watched in horror as she stood up and started running towards him.

"NOOOO!" Krystal yelled as she charged out of the bushes they were concealed behind, pulling a gun from the waist of her white jeans and shooting it in Buffy's direction.

"Leilani!" The redheaded Lady shouted a warning as she saw Krystal appear, and Leilani turned around just in time to catch the bullet in the stomach.

Her hand went immediately over where the bullet had hit, and suddenly there was red all over the area.

Her knees collapsed under her, and Angelus caught her just as she started to go down.

"BUFFY!" He wailed as he took her into his arms.

Spike and the others emerged, barely noticing the two red and black figures fading into the background as they appeared.

Angelus stared at them all for a second, daring them to speak or move closer. They finally stopped a few feet away from the couple, looking at them in shock.

"Angel?" Buffy questioned softly.

"I'm here, baby." Angel pulled her closer to him, looking deeply into her eyes.

"I'm sorry. I, I didn't believe hard enough." Her voice was a whisper.

"I love you." Angel said just as softly.

"I love you." She echoed, "Forever."

"Forever." He agreed. Buffy smiled a little for an instant, then her face went still. Her body sagged in his, and her eyes slowly closed.

"Who did it? Who killed her?" Angelus said without moving, his voice barely containing his rage.

"I did, Angelus, I…she killed Cordy." Krystal whispered. "I didn't know you and her…"

"Hasn't there been enough killing?" Angel screamed at them.

"Why don't you ask them!" Spike yelled as he noticed Chandra and her group running in their direction. They had heard the gunshot and come running.

"What have you….Leilani!" Chandra screamed as she moved towards her still friend.

"Don't." Angelus spat. "Don't come near her."

"Who the hell do you think…" Ares began.

"You all killed her." Angelus said, lowing her head gently to the ground as he stood up, facing off with the members of all four gangs. "She wanted out of the fighting, she wanted it to end, and you kept drawing her back in." He addressed the Ladies and Knights first, then turned his attention to the Kings and Queens. "And you guys just had to fight. I tried to end it, but you had to have that stupid rumble. You all killed her. Her, and Luna, and Cordelia. Not with those knives, or guns, but with your attitudes. You're all so full of hate that you won't listen to anyone who gives you a better way."

"There is no better way!" A boy in the back shouted.

"Yes, there is." Angelus whispered. "And she found it." His voice grew stronger again. "She was out of the gangs, she was in school, and she was happy. Leilani had a great life ahead of her, the kind of life any of you could have if you tried hard enough."

Everyone looked around at each other, seeing for the first time the people on the other side as faces, humans, not just enemies. The killings had taken their toll on all of them, and Angelus's words made a lot of sense to them.

"Okay, we'll try." Spike said after a moment.

"We will." Ares agreed after looking to Chandra for agreement.

"NO!" Suddenly a boy's voice came from the back of the crowd.

A gun went off.

Before anyone knew what had happened, Angelus's hand was on his upper chest, and dark red covered his shirt.

His knees folded slowly under him, and he went down.

Police sirens suddenly began to wail.

"Who fired that gun?" Spike demanded at once.

"We'll figure it out later!" Ares yelled. "For now we gotta book it."

The young people all took off together.

TBC….

AN: Don't worry, the epilogue is coming. And before you start throwing sporks or flames my way, please wait to read the epilogue. All will be explained.


	8. The End and the Beginning

Chapter 8: The End and the Beginning

The police sirens ended as abruptly as they had begun.

Willow and Xander, still dressed in the red and black clothes they had put on after hanging up with Buffy, ran quickly from opposite ends of the yard. Each of them carried those fake, portable police sirens that little kids love to play with.

"Coast is clear." Willow said softly as she bent down between Angel and Buffy.

Each of them slowly sat up.

"I can't believe that worked." Buffy grinned, opening her button down shirt to expose the bullet-proof vest Xander had brought her just before she ran outside. That his father was a cop and just happened to have one was a very good thing. The bullet that the vest had caught would have ripped right through her stomach.

"I can't believe it did either." Angel replied with a grin, wiping the remnants of the fake blood from his hand onto his pants. One of the capsules that had not broken when he slapped them to his chest fell to the ground, and the four looked at it with a grin.

"That was some good acting on your part, guys." Buffy said with a grin as she looked at Xander and Willow, also wiping the fake blood onto her pants.

"I'm just glad we fooled Spike and them." Willow sounded relieved. "But aren't they gonna wonder that I said we got Angelus and all of a sudden he showed up here?"

"They'll either think I got away, or you were wrong and the Ladies grabbed someone else." Angel replied as he stood, helping Buffy up as well. She took the hand he offered, and didn't release it after she stood.

"I'm just glad you two remembered to fade into the background when the real Ladies and Knights showed up." Buffy grinned at her friends. "The Kings and Queens might not know every Lady and Knight, but Chandra and them sure would have realized you didn't belong here."

"Are we ready to go then?" Willow asked, looking around.

"In a second." Buffy replied, ripping a chain from her neck. She carefully set it on the ground, making sure the hair caught in the clasp stayed there. She pulled a knife from her pocket and sliced into her one finger, letting the blood fall around and on the necklace, which held her name charm as well as the 'L'."

She passed Angel the knife, and he dropped his necklace, letting his blood fall on the ground as well.

Buffy pocketed the knife again, then reached out her hand to Xander. He returned the gun he had borrowed from her, loaded with nothing but blanks. He was the one who had fired the shot that made them think Angel was dead.

Buffy shot all five shots rapidly into the air, then let out a bloodcurdling scream.

"Let's go." Angel said quickly, and the four of them took off.

One of the neighbors would surely call the police now, if they hadn't been called already. And all the police would find, when they finally showed up, was blood, and two gang necklaces. They would identify Buffy's blood and hair easily, since it was right outside her house. Angel's might take a little longer, but it would be in the papers that a Lady and King had died outside 1630 Revello Drive, which was exactly what all the gang members believed.

Buffy and Angel were finally free to start their lives over.

…One Week Later…

Willow overturned the Queen of Swords, setting it down next to the King of the same suit. "I'd say that's a good sign."

"It sure is." Buffy said, remembering how she and Randy were always the King and Queen of Pentacles. Then she remembered what had happened with the last reading.

"Lay down the last card." Buffy said softly, hoping it wouldn't be a card signifying death, as it had been with her and Randy.

Willow turned the card over slowly, laying it face up across the two Swords.

"Ten of Pentacles." She whispered with a grin, counting the ten pentacles hovering in the sky like stars.

"Is that good?" Buffy asked, her eyes squeezed shut.

"Look at it." Willow laughed.

Buffy opened her eyes slowly, then looked at the card with apprehension.

A man and a woman stood under an archway, holding hands and looking lovingly at one another. Stars and a moon shone down above them.

"It's a card of love and marriage." Willow said with a grin, confirming what Buffy was thinking.

"I gotta go find Angel!" Buffy grinned, getting up and giving her friend a huge hug. "We're finally gonna be okay!"

Buffy found Angel on the hill nearby the hotel the four of them were staying in.

She joined him, not speaking right away as she noticed his eyes focused on the sun, which was just rising behind the emerald hills in the distance.

"It's so beautiful." She said after a few minutes.

"It is." Angel replied. "I'm glad we decided to come here."

"So am I." Buffy smiled. "But it wouldn't matter where we went, as long as I was with you."

Angel grinned, pulling her into his arms and kissing her passionately.

"Well, we've lived my dream." He looked around at the hills he had seen countless pictures of when he was little. "Where do you want to go next?"

"Well, just like your dream is Ireland," Buffy looked around her, still taking in the beauty of the land his family was originally from, "mine's always been France. That's where most of my family is from, and I always wanted to see what kind of life they had."

"France it is." Angel replied with a grin. "And after that, where?"

"Wherever the wind takes us, my King of Swords." Buffy grinned as she linked arms with him and they headed down the hill.

"What did you just call me?" Angel asked in confusion.

Buffy just laughed. "Willow could explain it better than me."

"But I'm not with Willow right now, I'm with you." Angel replied as he kissed her again, lifting her up to his height.

Buffy wrapped her arms around him tightly, her legs coming up to wrap around his waist as well. His hands came under her to cup her butt, holding her tightly against him.

"Willow can wait." Buffy moaned against him as he slowly put her down, looking at her with fire in his eyes.

"She most certainly can." Angel replied as he took her hand again, leading her back towards their room.

Willow and Xander didn't see them again for many hours.

THE END


End file.
